Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Location
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, within Hogwarts Castle at the far end of the land. Look for the winged boars.

Access
Universal Express and standby lanes offered. A Single Rider lane is also available.

Rider Restrictions
Must be 48 inches tall to ride. The ride vehicle cannot accommodate guests of certain body dimensions; ask the greeter to try a test seat before you get in line.

The Bottom Line
Tour famous chambers of the unforgettable Hogwarts Castle, including the dungeons, portrait gallery, Dumbledore’s office, Gryffindor common room, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Along the way, catch glimpses of the Hogwarts Founders, Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter himself. Then, board an “enchanted bench” (a four-seat vehicle mounted on a KUKA robotic arm) for a 2D thrilling flight through the castle and its grounds. Join Harry Potter and his friends as you evade a Hungarian Horntail dragon, dodge spiders in the Forbidden Forest, enjoy a game of Quidditch, and escape ghastly Dementors.

Intensity Factor
The Forbidden Journey is not for the faint of heart and includes close encounters with dragons, spiders, Dementors (think faceless ghosts), and an enormous, rampaging tree. Creatures frequently pop out of the darkness to startle riders. The ride alternates between projected sequences and physical sets. The complex ride vehicles move smoothly but with a gnarly intensity that will trigger motion sickness in many guests. Though the ride does not go upside down, vehicles will throw guests onto their backs (staring straight up at the ceiling) during one sequence.

Crowd Patterns & Wait Times
Forbidden Journey is sure to become the premiere ride of Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride will command the highest wait times of the park despite its monster capacity. Forbidden Journey’s queue is unique in that riders are routed through a lengthy, outdoor extended queue before being permitted to enter the locker area. If you don’t have any loose articles or bags, you can proceed straight to the rest of the queue. Otherwise, you’ll need to fight for a free-while-you-ride locker to stow your belongings. Once past the locker area, you’re looking at an approximately 45 minute wait assuming the castle and greenhouse queues are filled to capacity. On the lightest of days, expect waits of 45 minutes. On moderate days, 60 to 80 minute waits will be common. On the busiest days, prepare to wait up to 240 minutes. Please see below for advice on reducing your Forbidden Journey wait time.

Queue Entertainment
Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey boasts the best queue in all of Universal Studios Hollywood. After navigating a lengthy switchback greenhouse queue, guests tour the castle’s key chambers and meet many of the Wizarding World’s greatest characters. Pay close attention to any spoken dialogue!

Length of Experience
Moving through Hogwarts Castle itself (once past the greenhouse) takes approximately fifteen to twenty minutes. The ride itself lasts approximately four minutes.

What to Know Before You Go
Knowledge of the Harry Potter universe gleaned from the novel or film series will enhance your experience and understanding of the ride’s events and especially its queue. However, the ride’s visuals and action are exciting enough to not require a thorough understanding of the Wizarding World.

Note that the Single Rider line skips a grand majority of the ride’s elaborate queue. You will miss everything except for the Gryffindor Common Room and Sorting Hat, so we recommend waiting in the regular line at least once.